Business Leader magazine Fall 2017

FALL FALL 2017 2016

Heating up

Several Chippewa Valley businesses fight fire with ingenuity

Also:

Waterfront aids economy Factory grows out of the box Bean firm forecasts golden future

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CONTENTS COVER FEATURE COMMUNITY STORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 STORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 PROFILES . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Longstanding companies and new ventures help fight fires.

Businesses look to area’s riverfront as an asset to attract customers.

GUEST COLUMNS Andrew Cooper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Jeff West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 BOOK REVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

EDITOR’S NOTE Thinking back on the jobs I’ve had through the years, I keep coming back to the summer I worked in a factory.

In between semesters at UW-Eau Claire, I’d returned to my hometown of Verona to live rent-free with my folks while working to ward off student debt.

Carnes, a factory that produced ventilation system components, was hiring, paid a decent wage for starting workers and was about a five-minute drive away.

It was one of the businesses I’d probably driven by a hundred times, but never paid it

Chippewa Falls, Menomonie firms satisfy growing demand for goods.

EDITOR

10 28

BUSINESS HONOR ROLL OF FAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

16, 26

Andrew Dowd andrew.dowd@ecpc.com @ADowd_LT 715-833-9204

GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT John Balgaard

MAGAZINE ADVERTISING & DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR

Catie Carlson - catie.carlson@ecpc.com

much heed until walking in to pick up a job application.

For a summer, I watched machines press steel and aluminum into louvers and other parts, occasionally measuring them to see if they met specs and then placing them into heavy metal bins.

The reason I keep flashing back to it is that the factory had been there for decades employing workers, churning out parts and making a place for itself in the local economy.

There are a lot of those companies out there that fly under the radar while others make a big splash with large expansions, new products or downturns in their businesses.

A few of those steady Chippewa Valley companies get their due recognition in this issue of Business Leader.

It might be a surprise to some that North America’s largest kidney bean processor is in Menomonie and has been there a while.

Packaging that keeps rolls of tape and beer cans from rolling willy-nilly is made in Chippewa Falls.

And after the area’s lumber industry wound down, a fire truck and pump manufacturer came to Chippewa Falls and has remained here for 85 years.

It’s about time we caught up with those employers on what they’ve been up to lately.

Published four times per year by the Leader-Telegram advertising department. Copyright 2017 Eau Claire Press Co., 701 S. Farwell St., Eau Claire, WI 54701. All rights reserved. 800-236-7077. leadertelegram.com

COVER STORY

Heating up Staff photos by Marisa Wojcik Capt. Brian Toonen of the Eau Claire Fire Department participates in a demonstration at the CVTC Fire Safety Center on May 1, 2014.

Firefighting technology and services have become a growing part of the local economy

By Andrew Dowd, Leader-Telegram staff

S

everal Chippewa Valley businesses — some for decades and others just recently — have been fighting fires with their ingenuity.

Fires have been doused by water churned out by Chippewa Falls-made pumps for 85 years.

An Eau Claire manufacturing company is selling a fire extinguisher it sees as revolutionary.

It was among the products tested at a specialized facility run by Chippewa Valley Technical College that hopes to become a go-to place for companies looking for a space for R&D. Architects at a local firm are designing fire stations to improve training and safety for firefighters.

An Eau Claire firefighter even created an invention that caught the attention of the White House.

All combined, they show the region has become an innovator in the creation of firefighting technology and services.

Pumping worldwide

The W.S. Darley & Co. insignia will always wave in the breeze next to the stars and stripes outside the Chippewa Falls factory, but a third pole is occasionally used to display a foreign flag to welcome customers coming from around the world.

The fire truck and water pump manufacturer does 60 percent of its business overseas — an export base that grew out of World War II and has expanded since then.

“Over 100 countries use Darley fire pumps,” said Jeff Darley, chief operating officer and grandson of the company’s founder.

Chinese symbols adorn a shiny new fire truck that’s getting ready to go overseas. The company began selling to China in the 1990s and it’s become a good market for Darley products.

Itasca, Ill.-based Darley has 200 employees in the U.S. with half of them working in the company’s factory in Chippewa Falls.

Darley started in 1908 as a catalog supply business, selling

4 | BUSINESS LEADER ♦ September 25, 2017

municipal equipment for police, fire departments and other government uses. Company founder William Stuart Darley struck a deal with Henry Ford to use the carmaker’s chassis for a fire truck, which was rolled out in 1926.

Jeff Darley keeps an advertisement for the fire truck built off a Ford Model T. Darley sold its truck for $690 when other companies were selling theirs for $2,500 or more.

“We became one of the largest producers of fire trucks at the time,” Jeff Darley said.

That irked the entrenched fire truck companies who used their influence to cut off the supply of a key component Darley needed for its trucks — water pumps. So Darley then hired engineer Pete Yates away from his job at American Marsh Pump Co. Yates did have a demand — that Darley pumps be made in his hometown, Chippewa Falls, which also had a labor force available as the lumber industry declined. The first Darley pump was made in 1932 and it has become the heart of the company.

“The bread and butter of our Jeff Darley shows the business is water pumps,” said advertisement for the original fire Wayne Hable, Darley’s director of truck built by W.S. Darley & Co. engineering.

Darley sold trucks and pumps to the U.S. military from 1941-45 and the equipment that went overseas to help the war effort was left behind after World War II ended. People in those foreign countries adopted the abandoned firefighting equipment and Darley’s reputation grew worldwide.

When Jeff Darley started coming to Chippewa Falls in the

k .

1970s as he was learning about the family But emergency calls pay no heed to business, Darley was in a 25,000 square scheduled employee trainings, cutting foot factory on the city’s south side. Since them short if firefighters had to rush out to then the company relocated in the 1980s extinguish a blaze. to an industrial park and expanded its “We can’t just say we’ll shut down buildings several times. operations and train for a day elsewhere,” The company also spent millions battalion chief Lee Douglas said. to update its machinery, upgrading Training at a remote site is no longer an technology to keep up its competitive edge issue as their newest fire station, which and produce a high-quality water pump. opened in June, has numerous features Computer-controlled machines use built into it that allow impromptu skills collections of specialized tool bits to practice.

Wayne Hable, director of engineering, explains features of transform rough metal casings into Firefighters have rappelled down a Darley’s pumps on display at its Chippewa Falls factory. finished pump parts. A Zeiss inspection tower using ropes, lugged hoses to upper machine robotically probes a part with floors and practiced connecting trucks to a needle-like appendage, measuring all the curves, flat ends and water supplies without leaving the building. edges to make sure it meets specifications.

The new Chippewa Falls fire station was created by an Eau Highly-trained workers control the new machines, but there are Claire architectural firm that specializes in police and fire stations. some craftspeople at Darley that still do some tasks done on older Five Bugles Design arose from a partnership between architect equipment. Removing burrs from gears and balancing impellers Steven Gausman, a principal at Architectural Design Group, and are still done by hand. retired Chippewa Falls fire Chief Ed Mischefske formed about 15 A typical mid-ship pump on display at Darley can spray 1,500 years ago. gallons in a minute, Hable explains. At about 150 psi, the water Gausman, who has 30 years experience in designing a host of pressure is about three times of good household shower. municipal buildings, saw the inside knowledge that Mischefske The company works to push the standard, recently producing had in firefighting would be valuable when designing fire stations. a water pump to fight large industrial fires that can put out 5,750 “There was an opportunity there where I thought we could gallons a minute. bring a different model to the industry,” Gausman said.

Darley also has a filtration system that can be added to pumps The firm has worked with about 200 fire departments — so fire trucks can be used as mobile relief stations when potable designing remodeling projects, doing feasibility studies and water becomes scarce. creating new buildings. Annually, Five Bugles does work on an “After a disaster, the first thing people need is drinkable water,” See page 6 Hable said.

The company also sells systems that make fire-fighting foam BUSINESS LOANS & SERVICES and a line of pumps that can create a temporary fuel pipeline in a warzone.

The company has a 72-hour worldwide parts guarantee to return their pumps to service quickly.

“We will make parts for any one of our fire trucks that we put into the field,” Jeff Darley said.

And even for collectors of their old fire trucks, Darley is able to make spare parts from its entire line — including the first pumps made in Chippewa Falls.

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Brushing up on their firefighting skills previously meant Chippewa Falls firefighters took a trip to the local fairgrounds or Chippewa Valley Technical College’s training facility on Eau Claire’s west side.

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from Page 5

Contributed photos Chippewa Falls Fire Department’s Station No. 1, 1301 Chippewa Crossing Boulevard, opened in June. In addition to being much larger than the old station it replaced on Park Avenue, the new building also includes a training tower.

average of about 15 emergency response buildings, Gausman said.

They primarily work in the Upper Midwest, but have also been brought in on jobs in Colorado, Utah and outside the U.S. One of their most recent jobs has been designing a replacement for Eau Claire’s aging Station No. 10 on North Hastings Way. Architectural Design Group and Five Bugles was acquired in June by Wendel, a large architectural firm based in Buffalo, N.Y. Depending on the workload, Five Bugles has six to eight employees on staff, including experienced firefighters. Mischefske recently retired, but Five Bugles still has two other former fire chiefs on staff, James Schmidt and Mark Windschitl.

“Having chiefs on board creates a great dialogue and feedback to current clients we’re serving,” Gausman said.

While many fire stations look simply like big garages from the outside, aspects of firefighting influence many of the features the

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public usually doesn’t see.

Firefighters are exposed to myriad chemicals in a house fire from burning paint, adhesives, carpet and other materials used in modern construction.

But that’s not the end of it as those vapors cling to protective clothing and hitch a ride back to the fire station.

Decontaminating those suits is part of the design that goes into new buildings so firefighters aren’t continually exposed to those chemical vapors, which have been linked to an increased incidence of cancer.

Between the added space and the modern design elements included by Five Bugles, Douglas said Chippewa Falls’ new fire station is a “night and day” difference from one it vacated on East Park Avenue.

Firefighters practice second“It has been nothing short of amazing,” story rescue procedures using a he said. training tower included in a fire

Proving ground

station designed by Five Bugles.

Listening to the sound of 200 smoke detectors going off at the same time wasn’t music to Red Van Ert’s ears, but it’s one of the memorable moments he’s had running Chippewa Valley Technical College’s Fire Safety Center.

His job as the center’s coordinator also has entailed building a 900-square-foot apartment inside the center and finding ways to set it ablaze.

Overcooked pizza, unattended cigarettes and a string of lights zapped with high voltage to start a Christmas tree on fire were all used to test and aid in development of a sophisticated earlywarning system from Mount Horeb-based OneEvent Technologies.

It’s one of the products that have gone to CVTC’s fire-testing facility, which opened in 2014 with financial support from the college’s foundation and the Phillips Family Foundation.

The Fire Safety Center is a sophisticated, precisely-controlled environment for testing how products can withstand, extinguish or react to fire.

“Just about everything that goes to market has to be tested for fire or failure,” Van Ert said.

He’s seeking more companies to use the center on CVTC’s Eau Claire West Campus to refine their products with the end goal of creating more jobs in the region, which is the heart of the college’s mission.

Part of his pitch is that CVTC’s facility relieves businesses of the costs of creating their own testing grounds. Instead, companies that use CVTC’s center pay for materials, facility time and use firefighters who are in the burn room to set and then extinguish fires.

The heart of the center is a 50-by-50-foot room with walls that are a solid foot of concrete. Overhead, there are specialized tiles on the 30-foot ceiling to absorb heat that has been measured up to 2,000 degrees. Computers in an adjoining classroom precisely measure and monitor conditions inside the burn room.

Pointed in the right direction 839957 09-25-17

Jeff Dykes has been in his share of smoke-filled buildings during more than 20 years of fighting fires in Eau Claire.

See page 8

6 | BUSINESS LEADER ♦ September 25, 2017

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Building a better extinguisher Fire extinguishers are ubiquitous — the red cylinders are found throughout homes and other buildings to give people a chance to fight a small fire instead of immediately fleeing for safety.

But there's a possibility the one you'll reach for simply will not work.

Randy Rousseau has seen quite a few of those in more than 30 years of servicing extinguishers at the family business, La Sierra Fire.

He's seen faulty pressure gauges, damaged cylinders and older ones where the powder used to smother the fire had settled to the bottom of the extinguisher, all rendering extinguishers less effective.

Rousseau and his dad decided in 2001 to create a better extinguisher to remedy common problems they saw when servicing units and correcting longstanding design flaws … even if it would cut into their servicing business.

They designed an extinguisher that only is pressurized when Contributed image needed, requires less strength to use, is ambidextrous and can be selfserviced.

“Here’s a guy who is, in essence, is pretty much putting himself out of business,” said Randy Lieble, vice president, CFO and treasurer of National Presto Industries.

About six years ago, a business associate introduced Presto leaders to the Rousseaus' invention. Though the company is known primarily for making ammunition and small kitchen appliances, the idea of an innovative fire extinguisher gained their attention.

Presto's experience in manufacturing, plus its understanding of plastics and polymers aided in turning Rousseau's working prototype into product ready for market.

“We took that to the next level. We fine-tuned it,” Lieble said.

In addition to furthering development of the product to the mass production stage, Presto also ushered the extinguisher through rigorous testing needed to get the Underwriters Laboratory seal.

Dubbed the Rusoh Eliminator, the reinvented fire extinguisher was unveiled in late April at a firefighter trade show in Indianapolis. That's part of Presto's strategy to market the product — introduce it to firefighters so they understand its features and why it looks different from a standard extinguisher.

“We wanted to plow a lot of ground first,” Lieble said.

The company also is focused on business-to-business sales of the Eliminator, namely large workplaces such as offices, warehouses and distribution center that need a lot of extinguishers.

The pitch to those business owners is while the Eliminator does cost more than a standard extinguisher, companies can cut the costs and hassles of regular third-party servicing.

While it's not on store shelves, the general public can buy the extinguishers for $149.99 on the Rusoh website.

8 | BUSINESS LEADER ♦ September 25, 2017

from Page 6 “You don’t serve for so long in the fire service without realizing you get disoriented in a house fire,” said the captain who works for the city fire department.

He figured there had to be some kind of gadget to help firefighters keep their bearings. And when he couldn’t find one, he started inventing it.

The result is the Northern Star Fire, an electronic compass that mounts to the inside of a firefighter’s mask. The size of a small stack of coins, the compass is turned on by tapping it. Depending on which way it is pointed, it will illuminate letters indicating north, east, south, west or between two cardinal directions.

With a handful of prototype models, he’s already gained a lot of attention.

His first burst of interest came from a $20 Facebook ad that featured a photo and description of the Northern Star Fire. That got a half-million hits.

“It’s a needed and desired unit,” Dykes said of the response.

Seeking advice on the business side of getting his invention to market, Dykes began working with Luke Kempen, director of the UWEau Claire Small Business Development Center.

Kempen aided Dykes in creating a business plan, which was instrumental in entering the Governor’s Business Plan contest earlier this year.

“Jeff is willing to do the work to make this thing happen,” Kempen said.

The Northern Star Fire beat out 12 other business ideas to win the grand prize in the contest hosted by Gov. Scott Walker. Kempen believes it was Dykes’ down-to-earth style of presenting his simple, life-saving invention that brought home the win.

“The governor’s contest catapulted us to another level,” Dykes said.

In addition to interest from fire departments across the U.S. and abroad, Dykes was asked to be among 100 entrepreneurs to visit Washington, D.C. He was among a group who briefly met President Donald Trump and spoke with his daughter and adviser, Ivanka, in early August.

By the end of the year, Dykes is scheduled to deliver on his first orders of the Northern Star Fire and get enough units to send more out to departments that want to try one out.

“Then I think the orders will flood in,” he said.

Genesis Tech of Brooklyn Park, Minn., designed the product, Poliac Research Corp. in Burnsville, Minn., engineered its internal components and KeyTronicEMS of Oakdale, Minn., is manufacturing the first batch of 3,000 units, which is expected this fall.

The Northern Star Fire retails for $149.99, but can be ordered through the product’s website for $129.99 and there will be negotiated prices for bulk orders.

Dykes plans to hire three people to handle finances, customer service, operations and marketing of the product, but regional fire equipment dealers are expected to handle sales of the Northern Star Fire.

While the business is gaining attention, Dykes doesn’t want it to take him away from his calling.

“My intention is always to ride the fire truck until I retire,” he said.

His main goal with the Northern Star Fire is to make firefighting safer, Dykes said. If the product is able to pay for a kitchen remodeling or help put his kids through college, that would be a bonus.

Contact: 715-833-9204, andrew.dowd@ecpc.com, @ADowd_LT on Twitter

Dykes

Kempen

Van Ert

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John Long Systems Administrator W.S. Darley & Co.

“ We had a lot of sales and service history that was only available on paper. If a paper file got lost or

misfiled we would not be able to access the information it contained. We needed to have those files scanned into electronic files and didn’t have the resources to do that ourselves. We looked to EO Johnson to do that for us.

”

— John Long, Systems Administrator – W.S. Darley & Co. W.S. Darley & Co. manufactures fire pumps and fire trucks and sells fire-fighting equipment throughout the world. They also provide a variety of products to the U.S. Department of Defense. Headquartered in Itasca, IL, they have manufacturing facilities in Chippewa Falls, WI and Janesville, IA and have approximately 225 employees.

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September 25, 2017 ♦ BUSINESS LEADER | 9

GUEST COLUMN

Investment mistakes to watch for at different stages of life Andrew Cooper is a financial adviser with Edward Jones Investments in Eau Claire. He can be reached at 715-833-3986 or andy.cooper@edwardjones.com

By Andrew Cooper Edward Jones Investments

As an investor, how can you avoid making mistakes?

It’s not always easy, because investing can be full of potential pitfalls.

But if you know what the most common mistakes are at different stages of an investor’s life, you may have a better chance of avoiding these costly errors.

Let’s take a look at some investment mistakes you’ll want to avoid when you’re young, when you’re in mid-career, when you’re nearing retirement, and when you’ve just retired.

When you’re young …

Mistake: Investing too conservatively (or not at all).

If you’re just entering the working world, you may not have a lot of money with which to invest. But don’t wait until your income grows — putting away even a small amount each month can prove quite helpful.

Additionally, don’t make the mistake of investing primarily in short-term vehicles that may preserve your principal but offer little in the way of growth potential. Instead, position your portfolio for growth.

Of course, stock prices will always fluctuate, but you potentially have decades to overcome these short-term declines.

Since this money is for retirement, your focus should be on the long term — and it’s impossible to reach long-term goals with short-term, highly conservative investments.

When you’re in mid-career …

Mistake: Putting insufficient funds into your retirement accounts.

At this stage of your life, your earning power may well have increased substantially. As a result, you should have more money available to invest for the future — specifically, you may now be able to “max out” on your IRA and still boost your contributions to your employer-sponsored retirement plan, such as your 401(k),

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403(b) or 457(b). These retirement accounts offer tax advantages that you may not receive in ordinary savings and investment accounts.

Try to put more money into these retirement accounts every time your salary goes up.

When you’re nearing retirement …

Mistake: Not having balance in your investment portfolio.

When they’re within just a few years of retirement, some people may go to extremes, either investing too aggressively to try to make up for lost time or too conservatively in an attempt to avoid potential declines. Both these strategies could be risky.

So as you near retirement, seek to balance your portfolio.

This could mean shifting some of your investment dollars into fixed-income vehicles to provide for your current income needs while still owning stocks that provide the growth potential to help keep up with inflation in your retirement years.

When you’ve just retired …

Mistake: Failing to determine an appropriate withdrawal rate.

Upon reaching retirement, you will need to carefully manage the money you’ve accumulated in your IRA, 401(k) and all other investment accounts.

Obviously, your chief concern is outliving your money, so you’ll need to determine how much you can withdraw each year.

To arrive at this figure, take into account your current age, your projected longevity, the amount of money you’ve saved and the estimated rate of return you’re getting from your investments.

This type of calculation is complex, so you may want to consult with a financial professional.

By avoiding these errors, you can help ensure that, at each stage of your life, you’re doing what you can to keep making progress toward your financial goals.

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FEATURE STORY

Revenue streams Businesses increasingly find ways to capitalize on the scenic rivers flowing through Eau Claire

By Eric Lindquist, Leader-Telegram staff

It began as a trickle and is becoming a steady stream.

After decades of city leaders talking about making better use of the rivers that flow through Eau Claire, several local businesses are finally diving in.

And they say the water is nice — both for customers and for their bottom lines.

The current has pulled in everything from large operations — officials from credit union RCU and software company Jamf helped open the floodgates by investing in new buildings near Phoenix Park in part because they wanted views of the water — to small restaurants and bike shops that just want to offer their customers a chance to see or experience the rivers and the trails that hug their banks.

One of the latest businesses to go with the flow — even though it doesn’t actually sit on riverfront property — is The Oxbow Hotel on Galloway Street.

Despite it’s location a few hundred feet from the Eau Claire River, hotel management is all in on encouraging guests to enjoy the city’s rivers.

“Being an independent, locally owned boutique hotel, we want to showcase what our city has to offer, and the rivers are a big part of that,” said Allison Gumz, general manager of the Oxbow and its adjacent restaurant The Lakely.

The Oxbow offers a fleet of 10 bikes — free of charge — to its guests so they can explore the city’s bike trails and even suggests routes that take in several of downtown’s best river views.

It also partners with Riverside Bike & Skate to supply interested guests with kayaks and canoes, along with shuttle service to points along the Eau Claire and Chippewa rivers, and with Eau Claire Anglers to offer guided fishing trips in the region.

“These are value-added items for us, and the feedback I’m getting from guests is that they really enjoy them,” Gumz said. “We’re not just about getting people’s heads in beds. We’re all about giving them an experience and showing people why we choose to live here.”

The rivers, she said, are a big part of that.

“It’s a chance to show people how cool Eau Claire has gotten,” Gumz said.

12 | BUSINESS LEADER ♦ September 25, 2017

Staff photos by Marisa Wojcik High school students Joey Kroeger and Bodhisattva Smith walk through Phoenix Park during May along the Chippewa River State Trail in Eau Claire. The city’s network of trails features many spots along the river for biking, running or a casual stroll.

Seeing potential

Riverside Bike & Skate, 937 Water St., was promoting the city’s rivers before it was the trendy thing to do, getting its feet wet beginning in the 1980s when late founder Jim Rolbiecki started offering canoe rental and shuttle service and even promoted a river immersion pedal-paddle experience in which customers could paddle down the Chippewa River and then bike back along it.

“We started doing this before there were cellphones,” Pat Rolbiecki, Jim’s son and the current owner, said with a chuckle. “We used to say the trip should take about two hours, so we’ll pick you up in 2½ hours. Now people just call us.”

While boat rental and the shuttle service accounts for only a small portion of the shop’s revenue, Pat Rolbiecki said it’s a great way to promote the concept of people getting out on the water and enjoying the views from the rivers instead of solely of the rivers.

The shop offers trips from several dropoff points along the Eau Claire and Chippewa rivers.

Business, which picks up on music festival weekends, tends to be split about 50-50 between locals and tourists.

“We were ahead of the curve in terms of using the

river as a revenue stream and capturing people’s interest in the water,” he said.

Development of bike trails in Eau Claire and the wider Chippewa Valley also has been a boon for the shop’s bicycle business, along with a growing interest in wellness and “going green.”

Floating clients

Still, Rolbiecki chalks up one of the river’s most visible uses to serendipity.

“City fathers and developers can thank their lucky stars that back in the early ’90s about 10 college guys decided it’s too damn hot out and decided to grab some tubes and a case of beer and float down the river,” he said. “Nobody would go in the river before that.”

Tubing down the Chippewa River since has become a summertime tradition, attracting hundreds of UW-Eau Claire students and community residents on hot days while at the same time providing a new source of income for several local businesses that sell tubes, accessories and refreshments to scantily clad sun-seekers.

Indeed, UW-Eau Claire’s Chippewa Valley Economic See page 14

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September 25, 2017 ♦ BUSINESS LEADER | 13

from Page 13 Research Group, led by economics department chairman Thomas Kemp, recently completed a study concluding that the tubing industry contributes an estimated $65,400 to the local economy each year.

The research, which included four trips to interview tubers putting in at Phoenix Park, determined that about 1,200 different people tube in Eau Claire, with many of them going for multiple floats a year. The researchers estimated that tubers spend an average of about $20 per trip, providing them with what Kemp described as “good, cheap fun.”

“While that’s not a big number, when you put it all together it generates sizable economic activity for the community,” he said, noting that he believes the rivers remain a tremendously underutilized resource.

Several businesses around the area have capitalized on the popularity of this new recreational activity by selling tubes.

One of those, Azara, 624 Water St., often has an impressive display of different kinds of tubes outside its front door in the summer. The shop also offers air pumps, floating coolers and an in-store pumping station for those who want to head straight to the water in their flip-flops.

“We sell a lot of river tubes,” manager Lindsey Green said.

“It is a pretty big part of our business in the summer.”

Green said the shop’s location close to the university and the Chippewa River makes it convenient for students eager

Staff photo by Eric Lindquist Azara, 624 Water St., is among the shops near the Chippewa River that rent inner tubes. Researchers at UW-Eau Claire estimated that floating on the river contributes $65,400 annually to the area's economy.

to dip their toe in the water flowing through campus.

Riverside dining

Less adventurous residents who appreciate the rivers but prefer to stay dry have long clamored for dining options in the city that incorporate views of the water.

Just up the Eau Claire River from downtown Eau Claire, Cowboy Jack’s answered that call this summer by opening a location right along the river in Altoona’s River Prairie development. In addition to banks of windows, the restaurant offers a huge two-level patio overlooking the water.

“People love the patio. It’s definitely a big draw for people to come out here,” said general manager Lori Hayden, 14 | BUSINESS LEADER ♦ September 25, 2017

Staff photo by Kelsey Smith Outdoor seating at Cowboy Jack’s in Altoona takes advantage of the views at the River Prairie development, which has a recreational trail between businesses and the Eau Claire River.

adding that people often pounce on available outdoor seats as soon as they are vacated.

Tom Larson, president of Larson Cos., which manages Cowboy Jack’s, said he is pleased to see Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls and Altoona taking greater advantage of the rivers the communities were founded along.

“We’ve actually been overwhelmed with the response from the community,” Larson said. “It has exceeded our very high expectations and continues to attract large numbers of people.”

In an effort to keep a good thing going, Cowboy Jack’s intends to add heating elements and canvas shelters to extend the outdoor dining season deeper into fall and spring, he said.

Another of the region’s most-talked-about riverside dining opportunities — the retail space on the ground floor of the year-old Haymarket Landing building at the confluence of the Eau Claire and Chippewa rivers — remains on the back burner. All of the public plans for the building, part of downtown’s signature Confluence Project that will include an arts center on the other side of a public plaza, indicated a restaurant with outdoor dining space right along the riverbank would occupy that location.

While the site has generated significant interest from potential restaurant operators, Commonweal Development Corp. has yet to secure a firm commitment for the expected two or three restaurants that will occupy the space below an apartment-style housing project for UW-Eau Claire students, said company president Stuart Schaefer.

The construction underway on the arts center and planned for the plaza has given potential operators hesitation, Schaefer said, although he remains confident the plan will come to fruition.

“It will be an extraordinary space. People are drawn to the water,” he said. “I think we’ll attract some really good operators and it will be a great gathering place.”

Something’s brewin’

The operators of a pair of local brewpubs are seeking to merge two of Eau Claire’s emerging passions: craft beers and downtown rivers.

Lazy Monk Brewing took the leap in January 2016 by moving from Banbury Place to its current location across the Chippewa River from Phoenix Park.

The business maximized its location by building a large outdoor deck overlooking the river, and the owners are bubbling with excitement now that the city has cleared some of the trees along the riverbank, improving views of the water and the nearby Phoenix Park footbridge.

“It is just a glorious location,” said Theresa Frank, who co-owns the brewpub with her husband, Leos. “The river was a huge factor in choosing this spot. We really wanted to be downtown and close to the river and the walking paths. A lot of our customers just love that.”

A healthy number of customers already arrive by bicycle, and Frank said she expects that volume to grow — more bike racks are planned — when the city extends the bike trail behind the business and north through the planned Cannery District.

“Eau Claire traditionally hasn’t used the river very much and now we’re at the point where people are starting to embrace it,” Frank said. “We’ve talked about it for years, and now is the time to do it.”

Similarly, William Glass, owner of The Brewing Projekt, plans to move his brewing facility and taproom out of its current building by the end of the year to a new, larger space along the Chippewa River at 1807 N. Oxford Ave. Plans call for a major renovation to the old industrial building the brewer will occupy, expected to be completed by next fall, to include the addition of a 2,500-square-foot riverfront patio and a 3,000-square-foot rooftop deck with views of the river. Glass also plans to add several windows to

enable customers to see the water year-round.

“We wouldn’t have been interested in that property if it wasn’t for the river,” Glass said.

He is confident the proximity to the water will be a major draw and help satisfy pent-up demand.

“Having been in Eau Claire for a long time, I’m tired of hearing people complain about the lack of riverfront seating.”

Glass joked.

Mike Schatz, the city’s economic development administrator and executive director of Downtown Eau Claire Inc., has heard the same rumblings for years and is thrilled to see more businesses catering to customers who want to float on, bike along or grab a drink or bite to eat next to the rivers.

It’s a major reason, Schatz said, for all of the recognition Eau Claire has received in recent years as an attractive place to live and visit.

Contact: 715-833-9209, eric.lindquist@ecpc.com, @ealscoop on Twitter

Larson

Schaefer

Frank

Glass

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September 25, 2017 ♦ BUSINESS LEADER | 15

COMMUNITY PROFILE

Growing out of the box Staff photos by Kelsey Smith Great Northern Corp. operates out of a 175,000-square-foot building in the northeast corner of Chippewa Falls, where most of the 254 employees work.

Chippewa Falls cardboard packaging company expands its capabilities, posts record years

By Chris Vetter, Leader-Telegram staff CHIPPEWA FALLS

Grabbing a new roll of Scotch tape or reaching for a Leinenkugel’s beer may have first meant going through packaging made in Chippewa Falls.

Great Northern Corp., formerly known locally as Kell Container, makes corrugated cardboard store and product boxes.

Presses run round-the-clock, five days a week at the company’s manufacturing facilities in Chippewa Falls to keep up with demand.

“Business is very strong,” general manager Zach Schmidtknecht said. “2016 was a year of record growth. 2017 has been a year of stabilizing growth. Corporately, Great Northern has had record years, year after year.”

In 2016 alone, the Chippewa Falls plant alone produced 460 million square feet of corrugated product, Schmidtknecht said.

Great Northern Corp.’s production has doubled in size since 2008.

“We have equipment that (print) 100 sheets an hour, to equipment that can do 20,000 Leinenkugel’s boxes an hour,” Schmidtknecht said.

The boxes come in all shapes and sizes too — including ones big enough for a refrigerator.

The company doesn’t just make the boxes — they design the in-store displays, then fill them with a customer’s products, Zach Schmidtknecht, Great Northern Corp. general manager, poses with workers in the and ship them directly to shops. company’s plant at 231 Palmer St. in the northeast corner of Chippewa Falls.

16 | BUSINESS LEADER ♦ September 25, 2017

h .

“We’ll come up with the concepts and renderings (of a display),” Schmidtknecht said. “We’ll apply graphics and mock it up. We have evolved from a box company — we are a packaging company.”

Between 15 and 20 trucks depart from the building each day. Their customers include 3M, Leinenkugel’s Brewing Co., ITW Deltar and Keurig.

“We are on the cutting edge of digital print right on corrugated cardboard,” he said. “We’re on the second generation digital press here in Chippewa Falls. Our reinvestment back into the Chippewa Falls plant is over $10 million in the past three years.”

Key employer

Chippewa Falls Mayor Greg Hoffman praised the company for being an important employer in the city.

“I have toured Great Northern, a number of years ago. It’s a great organization — it’s one of those that goes under the radar,” Hoffman said. “We are fortunate in Chippewa Falls, we have a number of manufacturing businesses that do a great job. They are a great employer, and I’m appreciative they are a part of the community.”

Charlie Walker, Chippewa County Economic Development Corp. executive director, called Great Northern a leader in their industry.

“They are a Midwest mover and shaker,” Walker said. “They have lived up to their commitment of giving to the community and keeping their Great Northern Corp. makes corrugated boxes, including ones for in-store displays, like this 3M employees.” container. The boxes are designed to hold up and The company last for three months in stores. continues to invest in its operations, he added.

“Their graphics department is awesome,” Walker said. “They stay on top of the technology.”

Walker described the company as a “mainstay corporation” that adds value to the other businesses in the region.

The local Great Northern Corp. business previously had been Kell Container, which was founded in 1964 in Eau Claire. Great Northern, which was founded

Bill Thompson, a machine operator at Great Northern Corporation, shows off the corrugated cardboard before it is processed and turned into boxes.

in 1962 in Appleton, bought the local company in October 2004.

Great Northern now has about 1,100 employees across all its facilities, including about 250 between the two Chippewa Falls facilities. Most workers are in the 170,000-square-foot building at 231 Palmer St., in the northeast corner of Chippewa Falls, with the rest at a 300,000-square-foot center on Olson Drive.

Speeding up, wasting less

In spring 2009, the company purchased a new high-speed digital printing press, which was the key component in a $3.75 million expansion. At the time, it was just one of four made worldwide.

As Schmidtknecht provided a tour through the plant, he pointed to the latest of technology — a Bobst Vision Cut press — which was purchased in 2016.

Only a short distance away, a press that is from 1978 was still printing away.

Jordon Frohn shows off printed boxes made for Leinenkugel’s Brewing Co., shortly after they were created at Great Northern.

See page 18 September 25, 2017 ♦ BUSINESS LEADER | 17

from Page 17

This printing machine, which has been in operation since 1978, is still used at Great Northern. There are 15 printing presses at the Chippewa Falls facility, plus machines that fold and seal boxes, and bundle cardboard packages.

Let us take care of you.

“We have tremendous maintenance people who can keep that machine running,” Schmidtknecht said.

Schmidtknecht joined the Kell Container staff in 1999, and he became general manager 2½ years ago.

He said the largest challenge he faces is managing the peaks and valleys throughout the year. For instance, the busiest time is typically May through September, when most employees want to take vacations. So, they can at times employ 200 temporary employees along with their regular full-time staff.

6\Y WYVMLZZPVUHS Z[HɈ ^PSS be happy to assist you in planning your event.

6\Y MHJPSP[PLZ VɈLY [OL perfect setting for small group meetings, banquets and conferences.

Our versatile banquet menus provide a delicious variety of choices at various price ranges and V\Y JV\Y[LV\Z Z[HɈ ^PSS attend to every detail of your next event.

Andrea Pettis works on a machine that folds and seals boxes.

Conference and Banquet Facilities eauclaire@greenmill.com | 715.839.8687

839961 • 9-25-17

18 | BUSINESS LEADER ♦ September 25, 2017

The business also focuses on eliminating waste.

“All of our scrap is recycled, re-pulped, and turned back into corrugated,” he said. “As far as the products we make here, nothing is going to the landfill.”

Contact: 715-723-0303, chris.vetter@ecpc.com

Honoring Businesses in the Chippewa Valley for over 130 years.

Welcome to the

H

2017

onor Roll of Business The businesses listed on the following pages are proud of the history they’ve formed with the Chippewa Valley and they want to share it with you. They know first hand how difficult it is to open and operate a successful business year after year.

We salute these businesses for their years of service to the Chippewa Valley.

Some have been here a very long time and others are just beginning.

Congratulations to them all!

Years in business are provided by the businesses represented.

159 YEARS

Connell’s Family Orchard Est. 1858

HONEYCRISP - Apples, Pumpkins & Squash, Apple Donuts & Bakery, Jams, Jellies and Pure Local Honey. Live, working observation bee hive.

Raspberries, pick your own.

WEEKEND

WAGON RIDES

715-723-5889 9 Open Daily 9-6 9--6 6 19372 Cty Hwy wyy O OO, Chippewa wa Fa F Falls 839930 9-25-17

<($56

138 YEARS

Providing information and marketing services to Chippewa Valley readers and businesses.

(1872-2013) (1872-2017) U.S. Bank 65 area locations 715.839.6318

715-833-9200 800-236-8808

usbank.com Member FDIC

136 YEARS

840428 09-25-17

leadertelegram.com 840059 • 9-25-17

840770_9-25-17

September 25, 2017 ♦ BUSINESS LEADER 840119 | 19

Honor Roll 130 YEARS

of Business 129 YEARS

129 YEARS

Eau Claire has been the home of McDonough Manufacturing Co. since 1888, producing quality sawmill machinery for sawmills in Eau Claire and the world over.

5DLOZD\ 6W Â&#x2021; $XJXVWD :,

%XV ZZZ /DPSHUW/XPEHU FRP

119 YEARS

My Place Bar

Keeping Your Image Neat and Clean Since 1891

406-408 Galloway St. Downtown Eau Claire

2320 Melby St. Eau Claire, WI 54703 840423 9-25-17

839927_9-25-17

126 YEARS

115 YEARS

Open 10:00 AM 7 Days a Week

840420_9-25-17

102 YEARS A Family Tradition in fine diamonds since 1915

96 YEARS

95 YEARS AUTO TOP SHOP LLC

3703 Oakwood Hills Pkwy, Eau Claire, WI 54701 715.832.3407 wipfli.com

Leather Interiors Seat Heaters Eau Claire

715-835-3388 840409 9-25-17

CLIFF INDUSTRIAL

Repair Specialists Production ManufacturingGrinding Large CNC

Mill & Lathe Work Builders of Special Machinery Gears-Belts-Pulleys-Chain Bearings-Sprockets-Couplings

INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES & CASTERS 613 Wisconsin St., Eau Claire

715-835-8314

840713 9-25-17

<($56

840220_9-25-17

<($56 Serving Eau Claire Since 1934 Conveniently located in Putnam Heights.

10954 E. Melby St Chippewa Falls

LIQUOR MART

715.832.1691 715.723.7592

301 E. Clairemont

715-835-8737

www.hovlands-inc.com 840407 09-25-17

840403 09-25-17

78 YEARS

79 YEARS 839917 9-25-17

82 YEARS

97 YEARS

GENERAL MACHINISTS

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Serving the Eau Claire area since 1922â&#x20AC;?

Automobile Upholstery, Automobile Carpeting, Truck Cushions Rebuilt, Truck Accessories, Zippers-Sales, Repairs, Burn Damage Repairs, Convertible Tops, Boat Covers, Canvas Repairs

840279 9-25-17

83 YEARS

839921 9-25-17

715-723-4649 www.pedersonvolker.com

840414_9-25-17

Serving Northwestern Wisconsin Since 1920

3rd Generation Downtown Menomonie 715-235-2220

840411 9-25-17

3605 White Ave (715) 835-3101 1-800-666-3101 www.huebsch-services.com

Family owned & operated â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Four generations and counting!

24-HOUR SERVICE www.kurthheatingandcooling.com

715-723-2211

840662 â&#x20AC;˘ 9-25-17

20 | BUSINESS LEADER â&#x2122;Ś September 25, 2017

840401_9-25-17

1003 Harlem St, Altoona

715-834-3191 1-800-944-3604

www.benedictrefrigeration.com

Proudly Serving the Eau Claire Area Since 1939

3339 Fehr Road

Eau Claire, WI 54701

715-839-5116

839913_9-25-17

840121

75 YEARS FURNITURE

73 YEARS

73 72 Durand

16051 County Hwy J Chippewa Falls, WI 54729 www.economyfurniture.us

715-723-1444

840222 9-25-17

68 YEARS

better water. pure & simple.

Sterling Water, Inc.

Honor Roll

Eau Claire

71 YEARS

Years of providing

Tires & Services to local communities.

300 W Prospect St

“Innovative Construction Solutions, Since 1948”

(715) 672-8300 3014 Mall Dr

Offices in Eau Claire, La Crosse and Oakdale MN

(715) 834-4106

Red Wing 1511 W Main St (651) 388-1141

ttt͘D Zd E͘ KD

839907 9-25-17

67 YEARS

66 YEARS Plumbing - Water Systems

Thank you Western Wisconsin for making our 67 years so successful.

www.muldoons.com

www.culliganh2o.com

Quality Clothing Since 1950

715-832-3502 1-800-942-0783

840394_9-25-17

<($56

715-834-1213 www.market-johnson.com

840396 9-25-17

840398_9-25-17

Big, Tall, Short or Small...

WE FIT THEM ALL

1506 S. Hastings Way, Eau Claire

64 YEARS

69 YEARS Serving the Chippewa Valley for over 69 years.

715-834-9431 (800) 444-9431 840217 9-25-17

of Business

Thank you to the Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls areas for your patronage

BOHL & PROULX PLUMBING INC. 715-832-4795 715-723-9655 840392_9-25-17

61 YEARS

66 YEARS Eau Claire SINCE 1951

HVAC

Wisconsin Based Company EST. 1897

WATERWORKS

PLUMBING INDUSTRIAL PVF WELL & SEPTIC

596 CAMERON STREET

(715) 832-6638

839897 9-25-17

1supply.com

61 YEARS THREE GENERATIONS OF CONTINUOUS CARING SERVICES

840275 09-25-17

Proudly Serving the Chippewa Valley Since 1953 2514 Golf Road Eau Claire, WI 54701 715-834-2686 www.higginstravel.com 840682 9-25-17

60 YEARS PUB

2812 London Road

715.831.1300 More than pizza.

We serve traditions.

840388 9-25-17

59 YEARS We have been doing commercial painting and wall covering for the past 59 years.

We appreciate your continued support.

HAGEN

DECORATORS, INC. Pleasant St. 715-835-4321 www.hagendecorators.com

840212 9-25-17

We’re honored to have served communities in the Chippewa Valley for 61 years!

840808 9-25-17

FUNERAL CHAPEL AND CREMATORY

Est. 1956 • Funeral Director Erin Smith

ALTOONA 715.832.1400 CHIPPEWA FALLS 715.723.8514 CVOSM.COM

Oɣering Onsite Cremation & Pre-Planning Services 715-832-1141 • SMITHFUNERALEC.com

<($56

57 YEARS

840710 • 9-25-17

There’s no home like the one you own

Wilbert Statz Home Builder LLC Custom Builder • Remodeling

Since 1958

715-834-3362 1913 Skeels Avenue Eau Claire, WI 54701

840362 09-25-17

1498 S. Hastings Way Eau Claire, WI

715-832-1185

GovinsBarberSalon.com

840225 9-25-17

September 25, 2017 ♦ BUSINESS LEADER 840123 | 21

Honor Roll Prairie Pointe Rehab Suites River Pines Long Term Concierge Care Syverson Rehab and Health Edgewood Assisted Living Willowbrook Assisted Living Woodlands Memory Care School-Age Childcare Adult Day Services Independent Living Apartments

840390_9-25-17

57 YEARS

3410 Sky Park Blvd., P.O. Box 287 Eau Claire, WI 54702 715.832.3003 www.graceluthfound.com

53 YEARS

of Business 53 YEARS

56 YEARS

53 YEARS 1225 Truax Blvd Eau Claire, WI 54703

Practice est. 1961 Second Generation

2625 Morningside Drive Eau Claire

www.ervsmith.com

Steven B. Mahler, D.D.S. 605 E. Clairemont Ave. Eau Claire

715.832.5085 www.brotoloc.com

â&#x20AC;˘ 1.800.472.8838

715-834-2174

840824_9-25-17

52 YEARS

â&#x20AC;˘ 715.836.8360

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Because we care, our customers become our friendsâ&#x20AC;?

840210 9-25-17

840355 9-25-17

50 YEARS

49 YEARS Julsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Auto Service

Proudly serving Our Members for

L.L.C.

Jim & Steve Julson

Nick Gardow is proud to continue the Sparkle Wash franchise serving Eau Claire for 39 years.

53 52 Years

SINCE 1968

840358 9-25-17

Insured. OnTime. On Budget.

Professionally Trained.

Free Estimates.

840351 â&#x20AC;˘ 9-25-17

49 YEARS Your Independent

Complete Auto and LT. Truck Service

3 LOCATIONS:

1505 Western Ave. Eau Claire, WI 54703

Eau Claire South Chippewa Falls â&#x20AC;˘ Menomonie

715-832-4270 sparklewash.com/eauclaire

49 YEARS

AUTO/RESIDENTIAL/COMMERCIAL GLASS GARAGE DOOR AND OPENERS

840731 9-25-17

(715) 834-5832 840724 â&#x20AC;˘ 9-25-17

<($56

<($56

Thank you to our clients & their pets for letting us serve you for the last 49 years.

An Experience That Will Leave You Smiling

Dealer

Rayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Metal Work LLC

48 YEARS

715-962-3601

Heating & Air Conditioning 24-hr Service & Free Estimates

840722 9-25-17

Pam Hansen, DVM Nate Meyer, DVM Duane Vollendorf, DVM Kathleen Nowak, DVM Karen Trott, DVM

+LOOVLGHGHQWDO FRP

:LOOLDP +XWFKLQVRQ ''6 7RP %UHQHPDQ ''6 /RQQHWWH %UHQHPDQ ''6 &KULVWRSKHU -RKQVRQ ''6

46 YEARS

43 YEARS

41 YEARS

301 N. Farwell St. Eau Claire 715-834-7707

Building Lasting Relationships, One Customer at a Time

Full Service Tire & Mechanic Facility.

Tires, Brakes, Oil Changes Alignments & Wheel Polishing Commercial & Consumer Vehicles

840336 09-25-17

or call 1-800-773-2605 2600 Stein Blvd., Eau Claire, WI northwestreadingcliniclimited.com

840208 9-25-17

715-834-2754

2135 N. Clairemont Eau Claire, WI 54703 715-834-7538

840347 09-25-17

Ruth E. Harris M.S., Director CHILDREN â&#x20AC;˘ ADOLESCENTS â&#x20AC;˘ ADULTS One-on-One Educational Services for Reading, Learning Disabilities & Attention Deficit Disorders

Plumbing - Heating Air Conditioning

715-839-0707 or 1-800-307-9000 www.wiersgalla.com 840333_9-25-17

840761 9-25-17

FAST & RELIABLE Service and Sales

1915 Talen St. Menomonie 715-235-3468 www.superiorautobodyinc.com

22 | BUSINESS LEADER â&#x2122;Ś September 25, 2017

VISIT OUR SHOWROOM! 2309 W Cameron St, Eau Claire

888.GoAsher www.GoAsher.com 840360 9-25-17

1102 Menomonie Street Eau Claire, WI 54703

715-835-7555

840331 9-25-17

840124

41 YEARS

Honor Roll

40 YEARS

37 YEARS

of Business 36 YEARS

THE COUNTRY TODAY

35 YEARS INSURANCE ASSOCIATES

HEALTH & LIFE INSURANCE

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Your trusted independent agency helping individuals in the Chippewa Valley with their health and life insurance needs since 1982.â&#x20AC;?

715-832-1772

3413 Golf Road, Eau Claire, WI 54701 contactus@insassoc.net â&#x20AC;˘ www.insassoc.net 840672 â&#x20AC;˘ 9-24-17

33 YEARS

Friendly, Dependable Service 2749 Alpine Rd. â&#x20AC;˘ Eau Claire 715-834-6044 or Toll Free 1-888-834-6044 Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8-5 Sat. By Appointment Mark J. Deutschlander - Owner 840689 9-25-17

30 YEARS

840772_9-25-17

<($56

34 YEARS

840265_9-25-17

840701 9-25-17

840268 9-25-7

1-800-236-4004

www.thecountrytoday.com

33 YEARS

Commercial, Industrial & Residential, electrical work, and control work.

24 Hour Service

BRENIZER, REALTORSÂŽ 7KDQNV WR DOO RI 285 &XVWRPHUV &OLHQWV )DPLO\ IRU PDNLQJ XV :HVW &HQWUDO :LVFRQVLQÂśV

+RPHVHOOHU Coldwell Banker Brenizer, Realtors 715-835-4344 715-723-5521 715-235-8443

32 YEARS

â&#x20AC;˘ Landscape Management â&#x20AC;˘ Design & Installation â&#x20AC;˘ Irrigation Services

www.bandbelectric.com 1303 Western Avenue Eau Claire, WI

715-832-1676

www.ever-greenservices.com 840635 09-25-17

Open April - mid September

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Newspaper That Cares About Rural Lifeâ&#x20AC;?

840692 9-25-17

1018 E. Prospect St. Durand, WI 54736 715-672-5659

30 YEARS

ECONOLAWN Serving the Chippewa Valley Since 1985.

We offer a full line of lawn maintenance & snow removal services.

Let us do the work while you enjoy your leisure time.

Call us at 715-533-8155 for a free estimate today.

Quality lawn care at affordable prices.

839893 9-25-17

<($56

Locally Owned and Operated Since 1984 839882 9-25-17

30 YEARS

Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sewing Center

Network Design & Services Virtualization * Wireless Managed Services

John L. Webber Janome-Elna

Cloud Services * Security

Service & Parts - All Makes

Dell Preferred Partner

419 E. Madison St. Eau Claire

715-834-7712 www.imagineeringIT.com

840759_9-25-17

&HUWLÂżHG 'HDOHU

715-834-5252 888-834-5252

840326 9-25-17

<($56

29 YEARS

THE ART OF TEPPANYAKI Experience Authentic Japanese cooking at its finest, prepared at your table.

northsidepethosp.com 839886 9-25-17

2426 London Rd. Eau claire, WI reservations: 834-0313 www.tokyoEauClaire.com

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COMMUNITY PROFILE

Bean there, done that

Staff photos by Pamela Powers Company President Cindy Brown, left, and her niece, Stephanie Doane, show some of the packages of beans at the processing plant.

Chippewa Valley Bean Co. exports to about 24 countries, expects wider reach with changing food tastes

By Pamela Powers, Leader-Telegram staff MENOMONIE

President and co-owner of Chippewa Valley Bean Co., Cindy Brown sees a golden future for dark red kidney beans.

As the world population grows by an estimated 3 billion over the next 40 years, dark red kidney beans are a nutritional, healthy and tasty alternative to meat. Beans are less expansive and offer an alternative to those who can’t afford or opt not to eat meat.

Nearly 70 percent of the rural Menomonie company’s beans are exported to 24 countries in Europe, South America, the Middle East, Austrailia and a few Asian ones. The company is working to open markets in India and other parts of Asia, Brown said.

“Our future is golden,” Brown said.

Chippewa Valley Bean has grown and succeeded because of its growers and about 30 employees who strive to put out a premium product, Brown said.

The company produces about 72.8 million pounds of dark and light red kidney beans a year.

The family-owned and operated company is the largest processor in North America and exporter of dark red kidney beans in the U.S. Depending on the year, the company produces about 10 to 15 percent of the U.S.’s light red kidney beans. The company produces between 7.8 million and 19 million pounds of light red kidney beans per year.

Keeping it family-run

Chippewa Valley Bean Co. was founded by Russell and Nancy Doane. The first crop of dark red kidney beans was grown in 1969.

Russell Doane felt dark red kidney beans were more tolerant for rainy fall weather in western Wisconsin than other types of beans. He also was looking for a different product than the usual 26 | BUSINESS LEADER ♦ September 25, 2017

corn and soybean grown in the area, said Bob Wachsmuth, who now oversees production for the company.

“One thing Russell also recognized was it was a big bean and would look good on a salad bar,” Wachsmuth said. “It played out well.”

In addition to Brown, the Doanes other children, Ruth Anne Hofland and Brian Doane, and partner Wachsmuth are all shareholders and work for the company. Hofland oversees quality control and finances, Brian Doane is responsible for processing.

The next generation also is starting to work within the company. Brown’s son, Charles Wachsmuth works at the bean company in sales and marketing. Brian Doane’s children, Marcus, 18, and Alexis and Stephanie, both 16, are starting to learn about the company as they work there.

Gaining recognition

Beyond the Chippewa Valley, the company’s leader has become a leading name in bean production.

Brown recently was elected executive vice president of the Global Pulse Confederation, the governing body of growers, processors, exporters and buyers of beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas. (A pulse is the edible seed from crops in the legume family.) She is the first woman to hold the second-highest board position for the confederation, which is headquartered in Dubai.

The organization works for transparency and sustainability in all sectors and aspires to contribute to global food security and improved health and nutrition, according to the Global Pulse Confederation website. The executive board consists of up to 30 members from all over the world elected from the membership.

Board positions are voluntary and unpaid.

.

Brown also was the first woman to hold the office of regional vice president as well as the first and only female to hold the presidency of the United States Dry Bean Council.

Varied uses

Dark red kidney beans have a robust, full-bodied flavor and are most often used in chili, in salads and with rice, according to the U.S. Dry Bean Council.

Food supply trends “The large, beautiful bean is often used As the world’s population grows, the in recipes for its visual appeal,” Brown ability to grow animal protein will be said. “The flavor, texture and how a dish constrained by land availability, Brown looks will affect how well people like what said. they are eating. A whole bean that doesn’t “Beans, peas, lentils can be produced have any breaks in the skin is important with less water than animals,” Brown in all methods of cooking from canning noted, adding beans help with blood to dehydration. Dark red kidney beans pressure and diabetes, and prevent cancer. can be incorporated into every dish from In the U.S. 1.8 to 2 million acres of dry appetizers to entrees, soups, salads and beans are planted a year, according to the even desserts.”

U.S. Dry Bean Counsel. A half cup of beans The company has many recipes on its costs about 12 cents per serving to buy, website, cvbean.com. At Chippewa Valley according to the Bean Institute.

Bean Co., employees bring in different Chippewa Valley Bean Co. also sees dishes using the beans and share them with consumer preferences guiding more each other, Brown noted. people to their products.

Showing a Japanese product with dark Millennials are more environmentally red kidney beans ready to put on a salad conscious and tend to be more interested from a plastic pouch, Brown said she in a plant-based diet, Brown said. They expects markets to open up as more people also want to know where their food is The dark red kidney beans grown in rural discover the health benefits of eating a more produced and how it is processed, she Menomonie are used in many canned products plant-based diet. Beans also are gluten-free. including Bush's. added.

Production overseer Bob Wachsmuth The company uses non-genetically said he expects to see more ready-to-eat modified seed that has natural resistance products using the beans, for example chips made from kidney to disease requiring fewer chemical inputs and offers greater beans and hummus, which is primarily made from chickpeas. yields.

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September 25, 2017 ♦ BUSINESS LEADER | 27

CEO SPEAK

Are you beating yourself?

Customer-centric businesses have the ultimate edge on their competition “I am more afraid of our own mistakes than of our enemies’ designs.”

Jeff West is the owner of Bear Down (beardowninc.com), an executive and executive team coaching company based in Eau Claire. He was a founder and CEO of Silicon Logic Engineering. He also currently chairs the local chapter of The Executive Committee and Business Partners, a forum for small business leaders.

West can be reached at 715-559-2195 or jeffatbeardown@gmail.com.

PERICLES, Ancient Greek statesman and general

By Jeff West

A client recently sent me a picture of a whiteboard he saw in the entryway of a business.

I assume that every employee walks past it on their way into work each morning.

Here’s part of what it said: Amazon didn’t kill the retail industry. They did it to themselves with poor customer service.

Netflix didn’t kill Blockbuster. They did it to themselves with ridiculous late fees.

Apple didn’t kill the music industry. They did it to themselves by forcing people to buy full length albums.

There were more examples, but I’m sure you get the idea. You can probably come up with a few of your own.

The final two sentences on the whiteboard were: Technology by itself is not the real disruptor.

Being non-customer centric is the real threat to any business.

On the proverbial scale of one to 10, how would you rate your businesses customer-centricness? (I know, I just invented a word.)

When you come up with the number, ask yourself, how do I know?

Many a business has thought they were doing a good job … until they began to measure it.

••• Business owners and CEOs will often play the victim card. Blaming the economy, competition, lack of capital etc., all while merrily doing themselves in with average or poor customer service.

We’ll spend a lot of time and money on things like new technology and the latest sales training fads yet never spend a minute thinking about how we can be constantly improving the customer experience.

So if we like being treated well when we’re the customer, why don’t we spend more time making sure our customers are happy and feel appreciated?

In my experience there are a couple of things at play here: It’s hard to measure the results. When we buy new equipment or find a way to cut a fixed cost we can easily show it on a spreadsheet. Making your business more customer-friendly is something that doesn’t easily or

immediately translate to numbers. I call it “lazy accounting.”

Any company that has gotten serious about being more customerfriendly will tell you it does, in time, make a big difference on the bottom line.

It requires a longer term commitment. Many of us like being busy. We feel if we’re not checking things off our list every day we’re slackers.

Building a company that offers a great experience for the customer takes time. You won’t see results the same day you begin.

But if you as the owner/CEO don’t start and own the process, who will?

••• While Amazon, Netflix, and Apple have been used as examples in this article, it isn’t just the big boys that can do this.

As a matter of fact, great customer service is often your best competitive advantage against the Goliath companies of the world. Their bureaucracy is usually their Achilles heel. How often have you been caught up in telephone menus that say, “Push 1 for this” or “Push 2 for that”? And then only get an uncaring person reading off a script on the other end.

I’d like to finish by using a local example. Our family regularly goes to Altoona Family Restaurant. They have good food and fair prices. But then so do many restaurants in town.

So why are they always packed?

For us it’s because even though we don’t know anyone there by name, we’re always made to feel like we’re their favorite customer in the world.

A smile, a handshake and a, “It’s good to see you again!” goes a long way.

We’re made to feel so welcome we go back often.

In a business that’s as competitive as they get, their customers keep coming back time-after-time.

Coincidence?

••• Where are you letting your competition have an advantage with your customers?

Free up part of your days to think about it.

There are very few things truly more worthy of your time for building a strong organization.

Stop beating yourself.

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- Guest Article -

Commercial Leasing:

Things to Consider When Taking Advantage of Eau Claire’s Growing Waterfront Opportunities

By Paul J. Mirr and Benjamin E. Streckert – Ruder Ware, L.L.S.C. Over the past few years, Eau Claire has seen some exciting new development along its riverfronts. Underutilized in the past, these new spaces give local businesses the chance to add an appealing location as another asset. While some of these projects are still in the planning stages, one especially exciting new opportunity is the recently constructed Haymarket Landing. Many forward thinking business are looking to “hang their shingle” along the water, and it is not hard to make a business case for why it makes sense. Development downtown provides a ready audience of individuals already living downtown and capitalizes on the traffic coming to and from the forthcoming Arts Center as well as other downtown activities (like the Farmer’s Market, summer concerts, and weekend road races). Haymarket Landing condominium is one such property. With its unique location at the confluence of the Eau Claire and Chippewa rivers, the space, which can be rented or purchased, offers opportunities for frontage along Eau Claire Street, Barstow Street, and the Eau Claire River. The property is suited for any commercial enterprise.

If you’re considering taking advantage of Eau Claire’s waterfront opportunities, there are many items to consider and be aware of. When negotiating a commercial lease, the amount of rent and length of the lease term are obviously major considerations. However, because each business has its own unique identity and needs, the following are some important lease provisions that business owners and managers should consider:

want the landlord to lease space in the development to a competitor. Commercial leases often contain provisions restricting the landlord from renting to businesses that provide the tenant’s products or services. These provisions should specifically identify tenant’s business (including the services it provides or the products it sells), so that it is clear which prospective tenants will be prohibited.

Buildout. If the space does not meet the exact layout or other structural specifications that you envision, the lease should specifically lay out the terms of any modifications that will be made. Some questions to consider include: What sorts of changes will the landlord allow? Will the tenant pay for all of the changes, or will the landlord share the cost? When will rent payments commence?

Will they start when the construction begins, when the tenant starts moving in, or when the buildout work is completely finished? Which of these modifications will remain after the tenant moves out, and which must the tenant restore to the original condition?

Co-Tenancy. Certain tenants in the development often add a lot of value to the others. For example, some businesses attract significant foot traffic or types of customers that other tenants want. Without these tenants, the space is not worth as much to the remaining tenants. Co-tenancy clauses provide for a reduction in rent or even the opportunity to terminate the lease if a certain tenant ceases doing business or terminate its lease.

Common Areas. Many commercial properties include common space that is shared by the tenants (lobbies, restrooms, parking lots, etc.). The cost of maintaining these areas, including utilities, janitorial services, insurance, and repairs, should be addressed in the lease. Are the costs allocated amongst the tenants equally or based on square footage occupied?

Does the landlord pay the share for vacant space, or do the existing tenants?

do so whenever and to whomever it wants, or is the landlord’s consent required? Can the landlord withhold its consent for any reason or must it be “reasonable”?

Subleasing and Assignment. The lease should address if and under what conditions subleasing or assignment to a third party is allowed. Can the tenant

Paul J. Mirr, Ruder Ware, L.L.S.C.

Personal Guarantees. Oftentimes, landlords ask business owners, especially of small-business tenants, to personally guarantee the business’s lease obligations. Owners should appreciate the risk that this entails. If you choose to sign a personal guarantee, make sure you understand its terms.

Consider carefully the following: What constitutes a business default that allows the landlord to seek payment from you personally? Can the landlord do so right after default, or does it have to first seek payment from the business and its assets?

Moving to a new space can jumpstart your business, but it can also present a new set of complex considerations, especially when doing so for a lengthy term. Attorneys at Ruder Ware, L.L.S.C. have significant experience navigating these sorts of issues. Please contact us with any questions or for additional information.

Benjamin E. Streckert, Ruder Ware, L.L.S.C.

Exclusivity. After signing a lengthy lease and investing in a significant buildout, a business may not 839070 • 9-25-17

September 25, 2017 ♦ BUSINESS LEADER | 29

BOOK REVIEW

A surprisingly moving memoir Upbeat author gives an inside look at what it takes to haul people’s belongings across country

Title: “The Long Haul.”

Author: Finn Murphy.

Pages: 229.

Publisher: W.W. Norton (c.2017).

By Terri Schlichenmeyer The Bookworm

From here to there.

That’s where you need to move your stuff: from Point A to Point B. Take it out of one place and put it in another, possibly many miles away. And it’s not like you can wiggle your nose or wave a magic wand to do it, either; you need someone who knows what he’s doing.

In “The Long Haul” by Finn Murphy, there’s somebody like that out there.

It is one of those rare books that peeks inside an industry that you almost never hear about — longfor distance moving — from a voice that’s more upbeat than hammer-down.

Murphy nostalgically recalls how he first became interested in becoming a moving man. As a teen, he’d watch with envy as moving truck drivers from Callahan • Great G t Clairemont Cl i t location l ti Bros. gathered beneath • Rent out 7 stations/chairs a nearby tree after their at $500/month = $3,500 workday ended. Murphy • Monthly building rent was working his first job $1,210 at a service station in his • 1570 total square footage childhood hometown in • 2 seperate Massage rooms Connecticut. for added income The drivers were working men, beers in their hands .........$79,000 and logo shirts on their $49,000 backs, talking trash and razzing one another. It was Call: a brotherhood he long to join — and so he did, on the Pam 715-271-5569 day he turned 18.

Email: Before then, he couldn’t pcraker@charter.net legally drive a large truck.

ALL inquiries will remain confidential Also before then, he had no

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idea that the job was hard work, but he stuck around to earn his shirt and his coworkers’ respect. He gained a reputation as a solid worker, “a good shipmate,” and a reliable employee, learned to pack a truck, meet a deadline, deal with clients, unpack a truck and maintain everything at job’s end.

Author Murphy has an almost Zen-like composure in this memoir, although irritation does show up in his remembrances of dealing with rude clients and demanding company owners. Note that aggravation doesn’t show up so much with co-workers, which isn’t surprising when you learn how Murphy’s niche industry works.

Today, in his job, Murphy sees the usual amount of unusual things. He’s not a cowboy, he’s a furniture mover — sneered at by drivers who haul freight and derided at truck stops and diners. He’s been praised and yelled at; he’s moved humble folks with very little as well as prideful people with too much. He wears company clothing, unloads his own cargo and doesn’t own his rig. His job, in fact, is expensive, exhausting and sometimes exasperating.

On that business side, which is as much a part of this book as his personal tale, readers will be spellbound with tales about the job itself and its inner parts. That includes the kinds of anecdotes readers crave: stories of the best and worst, most unusual and what to know when sharing the road with an 18-wheeler.

Murphy counts himself among the elite movers.

And “It’s the best job in the whole world,” he writes.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable story, quick to start and really quite fascinating. Get “The Long Haul,” and leave it by your bedside table.

Tonight, you’re going to want it there.

The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer.

Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 15,000 books.

GuestArticle Article- - -Guest

Onboarding Technology Helps Get and Keep Great Hires

by Dan Rickert

One of the greatest frustrations for businesses and their Human Resources (HR) managers is getting and keeping good employees. Competition is fierce and national statistics prove that first impressions with your company mean a lot.

Research cited in the 2015 Harvard Business Review shows: 1. Nearly 3% of new hires look for new employment within their first six months on the job. (Among millennials, that percentage is even higher and happens earlier.)

2. 23% of new hires turn over before their first anniversary.

3. Organizational costs of employee turnover are estimated to range between 100% and 300% of the replaced employee’s salary.

4. Typically, it takes eight months for a newly hired employee to reach full productivity.

Organizations of all sizes are experiencing problems with ineffective onboarding. Kristen Yetto, SVP, eBay says, “When employees get off on the wrong foot at a corporation, it can have major implications for their longterm integration.” Yet, she points out the reality is most companies pay little attention to the onboarding process.

How’s your onboarding process?

You may be experiencing: • Paperwork, large files, or multiple points of delivery.

• Redundancy in data entry.

• Frustration with manual processes.

• Overload in the amount of paperwork.

• Problems manually managing application processes.

• Staff who are overwhelmed with too much to do.

• Employee frustration with outdated technology.

Even if files begin as electronic forms too often they move on to be printed, mailed, and stored in paper files often located in several different places, creating efficiency and consistency problems. Most troubling is the potential for opening a security breach.

Onboarding technology offers customizable solutions.

Moreover, 85% of U.S. office workers believe technology makes them more productive.

Successful onboarding according to Workforce Magazine (12/19/16) says, “Software can effectively support the onboarding process, and apps can aid what the Society for Human Resource Management Foundation calls its four levers of successful onboarding: role clarity, self-efficacy, social integration, and knowledge of culture.”

Implementing an onboarding system helps create a balance between people and processes. Automating HR document management reduces inefficiencies, complexity, and costs. It also directly improves job satisfaction through:

Customization is important because one size software doesn’t fit all. What’s most effective is implementing a “system” of different onboarding tools that can push all the levers. For example, one area lacking in many HR tool boxes is the use of mobile apps.

All age groups continue to show a rise in smart phone use.

Not surprising a 2015 Pew Research Center survey shows millennials are more likely than any other groups to use their phones to find and apply for jobs. Mobile software can include employee directories, vacation calendars, personal files, and more. All the information gives new hires 24/7 access and a feeling of being “onboard”’ their new work environment.

Onboarding builds job satisfaction and reduces costly turnover.

Most HR departments know that job satisfaction comes with creating a seamless, comprehensive experience that fully engages and integrates the new member into the team. A 2016 ADOBE study found that in the U.S., those employees who said their company’s technology is “ahead of the curve” love their work about twice as much and feel about twice as creative, motivated, and valued compared to those at “behind the times” companies.

1. Human engagement.

2. Intuitive digital onboarding tools.

3. Delivering self-service along the way.

Choosing the right partner is important.

Every business has their unique onboarding needs.

Here are five of the biggest benefits: 1. Information gathering capability.

2. Use of industry-standard data practices.

3. Different employee security levels that restrict data access.

4. Quick new employee training through a standardized process.

5. A simplified process to follow federal guidelines (I-9 and other compliance forms can be filled out quickly).

Onboarding technology is vital for staying competitive in retaining, engaging, and keeping quality employees.

Finding an experienced partner can make the difference in integrating a system that is intuitive and self-sufficient.

Your HR staff will thank you for being able to keep their perspective on people rather than handling documents.

Your business will benefit from improved services, reduced risk, and money saved — a win-win that can bring big advantages immediately as well as over time. by: Dan Rickert, Director of Solution Sales at EO Johnson Business Technologies 839067 09-25-17

September 25, 2017 ♦ BUSINESS LEADER | 31

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